
Class LQ>S^ 
Book, >^^<5 y' S 



58th Congress I 
3d Session I 



House of Representatives ^ .^j 



V- 



Robert H. Foerderer 

(Late a Representative-elect from Pennsylvania) 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN 
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



Second Session of itie 
Fifty-eigfitti Congress 



Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing 



WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1905 






SEP c! lyoe 

D. ofD. 







aoja.asDSK? a»t?®SBSSKSK 



TABLE OF CONTENTvS 



PaKC 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden 7 

Address of Mr. Moon, of Pennsylvania g 

."Address of Mr. Wanger, of Pennsylvania 23 

-Address of Mr. Bates, of Pennsylvania 26 

.-Address of Mr. McCreary, of Pennsylvania 30 

.\ddre.ss of Mr. Burge.ss, of Texas 32 

.'\ddress of Mr. I'ordney, of Michigan 35 

Address of Mr. Hemenway, of Indiana 38 

Address of Mr. Dalzell, of Pennsylvania 40 

Address of Mr. Sibley, of Pennsylvania 43 

Address of Mr. Morrell, of Pennsylvania 53 

.A.ddress of Mr. Padgett, of Tennessee ,58 

.■\ddre.ss of Mr. Huff, of Pennsylvania 6(i 

Proceedings in the .Senate 63 



Death of Representative R. H. Foerderer 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE 

NOVKMBEK lO. 1903. 

Mr. BI^•GHA:^l. Mr. Speaker. I send to the Clerk'.s desk the 
following resolutions, and ask their adoption. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolutions. 
The resolutions were read, as follows: 

AVj"o/z<'(/, That the House ha.s heard with jjrofound .sorrow of the death 
of Hon. R. H. Foerderer, a Repre.senlative-elect from the State of 
Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be directed to transmit this resolution to the 
Senate and a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That, as a further mark of respect to the memory of Hon. 
Vincent Boreing and Hon. R. H. FOERDERER, this House do now stand 
adjourned. 

The resolutions were agreed to. 

Accordingh- (at 12 o'clock and 26 nii--:utes p. m.) the Hoti.se 
adjourned. 

M.\RCH 16, 1904. 

MEMORIAL SERVICES TO THE LATE REPRE.SEXTATIVE 
EOERDEREK. 

Mr. MooN, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask 
tmanimons consent that the Hoitse fix a day for the iiieinorial 
services to a decea.sed Member, Hon. Robert Foerderer, 
of Pennsylvania. I would suggest Siniday, March 27, for that 
j)urpose. 

5 



6 Prucrtdhio^s iu fJw House 

The Speakek. The gentleman asks unaiiinKnis consent that 
Sunday, March 27, be fixed for memorial services to the late 
Representative Foerderek. Is there objection? 

There was no objection. 

March 24, 1904. 
rostp()xement of memoriai, exercises. 

Mr. MoRREl.l.. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that the memorial exercises in honor of the late Robert H. 
P'oERDERER anil Henr>- Burk, which were to have Iseen held 
on next Sunday, Ije postponed until Sunday, April 10, on 
account of the unavoidable absence of many Members from 
Pennsylvania and others who desire to take part in those 
exercises, and I would also a.sk that when the House adjourn 
on Saturday, the 9th, that it adjourn to meet on Sunday, 
the loth, for the purpose of conducting those exercises. 

The Speaker. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The 
Chair hears none. 



Memorial addresses 

SrXDAV, .\pril /(), /90/. 

The House met at 12 o'clock 111., and was called to order 

1)3' Mr. Browiiiiii;, the Chief Clerk, who read the following 

comninnicatioii: 

April hj, 1904. 
I herel)_v designate Hon. John Halzell, of Pennsylvania, to act as Speaker 
])ro tempore this day. 

J. G. CANNON, Speaker. 
Mr. Dalzell took the cliair. 

The Sph.\kek ])ro tempore. The House will be in order. 
The Chaplain will offer prayer. 

Prayer was offered by the Chaplain, Rev. Henr}- N. Couden, 
I). D., as follows; 

Father <if life and truth and love and liberty', we a]>proach 
Thee with grateful hearts for Tin' boundless care and pro- 
tection. We thank Thee for all the true, the noble, the 
brave whom Thou ha.st raised up in every age of the world's 
history, who have contributed, by their industr>' and de\'otion 
to truth, to the civilization of the world, and for that spirit 
which .seeks to perpetuate their deeds in histor\- and in 
monuments, which serve to inspire tho.se who come after 
them to deeds of heroism Ijy the rectitude of their behavior. 
W'e bless Thee for the ties which bind us together into 
families and e\-erlasting friendships, but more especially for 
those ties of fraternity which bind us together as a race into 
one great family; and we mo.st fervently pray that these ties 
may grow stronger till all the world shall know Thee and 
worship Thee as father, that we ma\' live together in har- 
mony and in peace. Let Thy blessing descend ujion us now 



8 Mniiorial Addresses 

as we gather liere in a serxict- of love to pa\- our grateful 
tribute to the men who have wrought in this representative 
body and made for themseh'es a place in the histors' of our 
country and in the hearts of those who knew them, and 
help us to look forward with bright anticipations to that 
larger life whither we are all tending to a happy reunion in 
a lirighter realm with those whom we have loved and lost 
a while. And glor\- and honor be Thine, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

EULOCtIES on the I.-VTE HON. kOBEKT H. I'OERDEKER 

Mr. Moox, of Penns\lvania. Mr. .Speaker, I nio\e the con- 
sideration of the following resolutions. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsyl- 
vania offers the following resolutions, which the Clerk will 
report . 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Jii'solvec/, That the business of the House be now suspended, that 
opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Robert H. 
FoERDERER, late a Member of this House from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Rt'soh'ed, That, as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House, 
at the conclusion of the exercises of this day, shall stand adjourned. 

Ri'solveii, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Rfso/i'fd, That the Clerk send u copy of these resolutions to the family 
of the deceased. 



rhMri'ss of Mr. Moon, of Pfinisyli'aitia 



Address of Mr. Moon, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speakkk and i.;enTLEMKn: Wy unaniiiious consent 
this great House of Representatives has to-day con\-ene<l in 
extraordinary session to pay its final tribute of respect to 
two of its deceased Meniliers, both Representatives from the 
vState of Pennsylvania, and this floor, ordinaril\- the theater 
of great events upon which the eye of the nation is fixed or 
the scene of conflicting ami clashing policies, is hushed in 
solemn awe, as in the presence of death itself, and tle\'oted 
exclusively to the consideration of llie masterful and endear- 
ing qualities of our deceased fellow- Members. 

My appearance here as a Representative from Philadelphia 
is due to the death of one of the.se gentlemen, the Hon. 
Robert H. Foekdekek, of the Fourth Congre.ssional district 
of Pennsylvania, and I ask the attention of the House to a 
few thoughts upon his history and character. His untimel\' 
death, upon the verj- threshold of a career of great pronii.se, 
has profoundly impres.sed the citizens of Philadelphia, whom 
he represented, and his intimate associates in this House, 
where he was so generally loved. Mr. Foerderer died in 
the prime of youthful manhood, having just completed his 
forty-third year. His span of life was therefore short, and 
his history as contained in the Cimgressional Directory is 
brief; but to those intimatel\- aciiuainted with his history 
the.se few years were as significant and as fruitful of great 
achievements and as productive to his constituents and to his 
country in the particular and jiractical fields in which he 
was engaged as that of any other man in the country. 



lo Life and CIniractcr of R. H. Focrdcrcr 

The modest records of his Hfe, as coutaiued in the Directory, 
probably written by himself, are briefl}' as follows : ' ' He was 
born at Frankenhausen, Germany, May i6, i860; was edu- 
cated at pul)lic and private schools, but did not enter college : 
began as an apprentice, and soon after attaining his majority 
commenced busine.ss for himself, and has since been continu- 
ally engaged as a manufacturer of leather ; is connected as 
officer or director with many local financial institutions; has 
always been an active, ardent Repulilican ; never .sought nor 
held any political office until elected to the Fifty-seventh Con- 
gress as Representative from the State at large." 

vSuch are the short and simple annals of Mr. FoerderER as 
contained in the public record. But these contain no adequate 
idea of his real history and give no intimation of the stupen- 
dous accomplishments of the man. Let me .supplement them 
liy a brief statement of his actual achievements. An appren- 
tice to the business of a manufacturer of morocco, without any 
capital except that .saved by econom}' from his meager earn- 
ings, he became the largest manufacturer of that line in the 
world. F)nterprise, economy-, and thrift were ^the dominant 
characteristics of the man. 

Circumstances to which he frequenth alluded with pride 
were that from the daj^s of his apprenticeship he never failed 
to put a.side a portion of his meager earnings as a capital for 
his future enterprises, and from these savings alone in early 
manhood he established himself in the business to which he 
hatl been trained and began his independent career as a manu- 
facturer. Recognizing the importance of the morocco indus- 
tr\' as one of the leading staples of the world's connnerce, he 
devoted his time and energies to its improvement. 

Dissatisfied with the imperfect and luiphilosophical methods 
of tanning hides then in use, he made a careful and extensive 
study of the subject, which resulted in the discovery by him 



Address of Mr. Motm, of Pcnnsyliania ii 

of a new method which was destined to revokitionize the 
industry throus;h(nit the world. Building upon the labor of 
other pioneers in this field, his particular and intricate knowl- 
edge of this business enabled him to wrest from nature one of 
her great secrets and to enrich the world by its discovery. 

To Robert H. Foekdekek was due the great distinction 
of first perfecting what is known as the " Chrone process " in 
the manufacture of morocco, by which at the minimum co.st 
in the shortest time the character and quality of the finished 
product was brought to a degree of perfection ne\-er before 
possible. In the hour of his triumph, when elated with the 
consciousness of victory and with the recognition of the stu- 
pendous importance of this discovery to the world, he called 
out with exultation, " 1 have con([Uered." These words trans- 
lated into the Latin, "\'ici," was given by him to the new 
production, and the conqtiest of vici kid throughout the mar- 
kets of the world has become one of the historic events in the 
evolution of American manufactures. 

At the time Mr. Foerdekek entered uixm the business of a 
manufacturer of morocco all the finer products used by this 
country were imported from Europe, largely from France, and 
the importations of this article alone amounted to Jjetween six 
and ten million dollars a year. The success of the new product 
was instantaneous. Its merits were recognized throughout the 
world. Philadelphia in.stead of Paris l^ecame immediatelv the 
center of supply for the finished product of morocco manufac- 
ture, and before the death of Mr. Foerderer the importation 
of finished morocco from Europe had not only ceased entirely, 
but the exportation of this article of commerce to all the great 
cities of Europe had become an established feature of the 
trade, and to-day far exceeds in volume aud magnitude its 
importation when Mr. Fokkdkkkk first engaged in business. 



12 Life and Cliaractcr of R. H. Focrdcrcr 

His indomitable industry and matchless energy had won an 
international conquest. His manufacturing establishment iu 
the cit>' of Philadeliihia had grown to tremendous proportions, 
covering 20 acres of ground, upon which were erected the finest 
buildings and the most completely equipped morocco factory in 
the world. The supply of his raw material was brought from 
all quarters of the world. Europe, India, Asia, Africa, and 
South America were made tributary to his great enterprise. 
The output of this vast plant was enormous. 

The dail>' product of his factories exceeded 50,000 skins, and 
at all times there was in transit from his agents in the various 
■parts of the world not less than 1,000,000 skins on their way to 
this country to be stamjied by the genius of this man and again 
started upon their way through the channels of commerce as a 
finished product, often to the very ports from which they 
started. His morocco factory, with its allied industries, 
employed an army of nearly 4,000 men and created prosperity 
and wealth to thousands in the great cit\- to which he 
belonged. 

His accunuilating wealth and great resources made him a 
central figure in the development of municipal and puljlic 
enterprises. 

His business sagacity and practical experience, so marvel- 
ously developed in the creation and expansion of this vast 
industr)-, was enlisted in the internal impro\'ement of his home 
cit>'. He became allied intimately with man\- of the important 
financial operations for the lietterment and enlargement of 
Philadelphia. His genius for organization, his courageous 
public enterpri.se, and a spirit of broad-minded civic pride had 
already accomplished nuich, and had his life been preserved a 
few years he would have brought to completion projected plans 
of great magnitude that would have stamped his name indelibly 
as one of our foremost municipal benefactors. 



Address of Mr. M(i(>ii, of Prinisvlvaiiia 13 

The phenomenal cleveloi>nienl of his hn.sines.s brought him 
great wealth. As rapidly as his wealth was created he devoted 
it to the enlargement and expansion of his business. He 
aimed to establish on this continent the largest manufactory of 
gla/.ed kid in the world. This laudable ambition he accom- 
])lished and then turned his mind to c|uestions of public interest. 
He had the patriotism and courage to risk nmch for the city 
in which he lived, and in carr_\-iug out the.se plans he came in 
contact with the public men of that city. 

His masterful executi\'e abilit_\', his tireless energy, and his 
accurate knowledge of industrial science attracted th.e atteiuion 
of the public-spirited men who controlled municipal affairs, 
and although he had never sought jiolitical prominence of any 
kinil or had been in any wa\- closel>- identified with political 
organizations, the value of his counsel in pu1)lic affairs was 
innnediately recognized, public position was tendered him, and 
at the age of 40 the great honor of representing the State of 
Pennsylvania in the National House of Representatives as 
Congressman at large came to him as an unsolicited tril)ute to 
his sterling worth and coiu'ageons public sjiirit. He had never 
held office. He had never been an aspirant for public houors, 
and yet, in the year igoo. he was unanimously chosen as 
the candidate of the Repttblican j)arty to this distinguished 
position. 

He was at that time a busy man. Had the creation of 
wealth been his chief object in life his enterprises in Frankford 
were enotigh to .sati.sfy his loftiest ambition. He was in full 
jirime of a vigorous manhood, and the temptation to employ 
his su])erlative opjiortiuiities in the amassing of an individual 
fortune nuist have been great, but to this call to public duty 
he promptly responded. At great personal sacrifice he took 
upon himself the duties of his exalted position and gave his 
time and energv to the .service of his countr\-. 



14 Life and Clia racier of R. H. Focrdcrer 

He had no ambition for a pnblic career. He recognized 
from the beginning that the services he could render to his 
State and country were not of that conspicuous kind that 
could win popular applause. He was not lured to this .sacri- 
fice by the siren voice of fame, but made it alisoluteh' at the 
call of what he conceived to be his highest duty, and only 
tho.se who knew him best can ever realize how much it ccst 
him to add to his already overburdened life the conscien- 
tious discharge of his duties in pulilic station. 

At the expiration of his first term of service, by an act (.)f 
legislature the State of Peiuisylvania was redistricted .so that 
in the election of 1902 the position of Congressman at large 
no longer existed, and his own district in the cit\' of Phila- 
delphia tendered him the unanimous nomination of Congre.ss- 
man from the Fourth di.strict of Pennsylvania, to which he 
was elected by an overwhelming majority in the fall of 1902, 
and at the time of his death he had therefore just entered 
upon his second term of national service. 

The responsibilities of Congressional life added seriously to 
the strain of his private business. His extensive manufac- 
turing establishment retpiired nuich personal supervision and 
exacting attention. His expanding interests in local enter- 
prises had reached a magnitude and importance that demanded 
his time and his energy, and his relentless determination to 
give to his public duties the full measure of their insistent 
demands was a burden that even his stalwart frame and vigor- 
ous manhodd could not adetjuately meet, and, therefore, (jn 
the very threshold of young manhood, in the heyday of a 
vigorous prime, in the midst of the fruitful activities of an 
earnest life, when his friends and constituents were confi- 
dently expecting for him conspicuous success in the new 
duties to which they had called him, he was, by the mys- 



Address of Mr. Mooii^ of Pcinisylraiiia 15 

terions dispensation of an overruling Providence, suddenly 
called from liis labors. 

What marvelous contrasts exist in this brief review of the 
life of Mr. Foekdekek, and what striking and in.structive 
le.ssons of national importance can be drawn from their stud\-. 
Born in a foreign land, of foreign jiarentage, while yet a 
young man he came b\- unanimous choice to represent his 
great State in the National House of Representatives. An 
humble apprentice and a da\' lal)orer, he became the head of 
a great organization and chief captain of an industry giving 
employment to thou.sands. Without the aid of adventitious 
circumstances and with no capital except that of the savings 
from his own industry, lie became one of the wealthiest 
manufacturers in this great country; without education except 
that of the common schools and the mastery of his own trade, 
he became a wi.se coun.selor in the aflfairs of a nation and the 
leading spirit in great enterprises. His life truly exemplifies 
that oft-forgotten truth that there is no royal road to eminence, 
and gives added emphasis to the cardinal American doctrine 
that the po.s.se.ssion of those qualities which are the inheritance 
of every American boy — industry, economy, and inflexible 
]>urpose — may bring to the humblest son of a toiling father 
the richest rewards that the world has to bestow. 

Such were the real records and achievements of Mr. 
FoERDERER, achievements of themselves sufficient to stamp 
him a man of great individual force and of superlative busi- 
ness and moral character, achievements that are typical of the 
highest phase of American i>rogress, and achievements that 
won for him the aml)itii)us expectations of his friends and 
which make his sudden and untimely death a personal and 
national loss. 



i6 Life and CJiaractcr of R. H. Focrdcrer 

He died iipmi llit- lhreslii_>ld of his national duties, and the 
questions constantly presented to the minds of those who 
knew him best were. What were his future prospects here ? 
What part was he destined to play upon the floor of this 
House? To what extent were his broad experience, his prac- 
tical knowledge, and his disciplined energx- to be felt in 
national legislation ? These are questions which must for- 
ever remain unanswered. 

These are problems that only the inscrutable eye of the 
Cireat Master can ever solve. But I confidently- venture the 
statement that his continued .ser\-ice here would ha\'e been 
of great ad\antage to his country and woidd have added 
materially to his own reputation. The traditions of Congress 
and the salutary rule adopted here limits the scope of a new 
Member. The growth of his influence is neces.sarily slow, 
and no man in his first term of .service can reasonabh- expect 
to impress himself .seriously upon this body. He mu.st 
become acquainted with methods of procedure: he nmst mas- 
ter details of legislative practice; he nuist await the opening 
of any opportunit>'; and the l)rief limits of his experience 
upon this floor had denied Mr. Foerdekek the possibility 
of complying with these conditions. 

At the time of his death he had become known only to a 
limited circle, and to the great leaders of the House his 
qualifications for usefulness were not entirely under.stood. 

A philosophical review of the histor\' of American legisla- 
tion develops the facts that its progressive stages di\'ides 
itself naturally into eras and epochs, and that the greatness 
of the nation is nowhere more emphatically shown than in 
our ability to bring to the front groups of men with special 
qualifications for the solution of the immediate problem of 
these respective eras. To this marvelous resourcefulness of 



Address of Mr. Mooit, of Piiiiisylvaiiia 17 

the nation, to this jjower of adaptabilit.\- to every phase of his- 
tor\-, is the coniniandins;- and resistless development of our 
great country in no small degree indebted. 

From our composite population, blended together in the 
crucible of American nationality, have risen men of diversified 
talent, whose tested qualifications as leaders of thou,ght and 
creators of public policy in the ever-changing phases of 
national development ha\-e been the wonder and admiration 
of the world. In the earlier period v>i our history, when the 
stupendous and untried problem of the adaptability of a written 
constitution to the expansion and growth of a new country- 
confronted the philo.sophical statesmen of the world, and when 
this question was further complicatetl by the existence of 
independent States, with arbitrary and independent powers, 
lx)und together under the form of a central ( ro\-ernment, there 
aro.se a series of questions of constitutional limitations and of 
State rights that had ne\-er before challenged the attention 
of statesmen, and then, upon the floor of this House, there 
arose such men as Webster, Claw Jefferson, Calhoun, and 
Hayne, whose jirofonnd statesmanship, forcefid eloquence, 
and jihilosophic reasoning excited the admiration of their 
countrymen and profoundly stirred the political thinkers of 
the world. 

That was the area when Congress was the arena for intel- 
lectual giants skilled in the art of statecraft and of the eloquent 
debater whose logical deductions were to shape the destinj- of 
a new nation; and when subsequently in the solution of this 
great problem its final arbitrament was transferred from the 
field of legislation to the field of battle, then there began 
another Congressional era, and other legislative questions came 
to the front upon the floors of Congress, and another school of 
H. Doc. 472, 5S-3 2 



i8 Life and Character of R. H. Focrdcrer 

political leaders was created by the exigencies that confronted 
us, and there was added to the long list of American leaders 
another galaxy of distinguished statesmen — a Lincoln, a Grant, 
a Garfield, a Blaine, and other brilliant names whose records 
adorn the pages of America's legislative, military, and execu- 
tive history. 

When the long strain of the fierce conflict was over, when 
these great political problems were finalh' settled by the arbit- 
rament of war, and a reunited nation once more assembled 
here, then another .series of questions, without historic prece- 
dent and of supreme importance, occupied the legislative 
thought of the nation. Then liegan another era — the era of 
reconstruction. And to this supreme task was devoted the 
best thought and the ripest experience of the country: and 
again upon the floor of the American Congress the qualifica- 
tions of her leaders were molded and shaped by the dominant 
needs of the hour. 

It is therefore apparent that in the successive stages of our 
history our country has called to her aid upon the floors of 
Congress men of diver.se training, of varied qualifications; men 
from every walk of life, and men especially adapted by 
experience and edtication to the particular duties and special 
needs that characterized the particular eras in which they 
served. 

What are the dominant characteristics of our present Con- 
gressional era? 

What are the great questions that challenge the thoughtful 
attention and .serious consideration upon the floor of this Hou.se 
to-day? Not con.stitutional construction, not the distinction 
between civil and militarj- powers, not the question of internal 
taxation for the support of large armies, not the delicate 
prolilenis of the relation of insurrectionary vStates to a restored 



Address of Mr. Moon, of Pcinisylzaiiia 19 

Uuiou, but they are questions almost wholly of an industrial 
character. We are in the midst nf an era of economic 
legislation, the distinctive peculiarity of which is our internal 
industrial development. 

Our dominant policies are these which tend to the improve- 
ment of our lahoring classes at home and to the conquest of 
the connnercial world abroad. We jioint with jxttriotic jiride 
to our increasing national wealth and to the growing magni- 
tude of our export statistics. And while we are as keenly 
alive to-day to ([uestions of national honor and to our growing 
importance in international affairs, the keynote of the present 
political era is connnercial supremacy and the expansion of our 
industries. 

The commanding problems or tJie nour as they are presented 
to us here are the just boundaries between capital and labor, 
the imjiortance of tariff schedules, and the perils of trade 
organizations, and that man .serves his coinitry be.st and takes 
his place as a connnanding figure in this House who has best 
mastered these cjuestions, who l)y .study and experience can 
bring to their solution the greatest measure of practical intelli- 
gence. And the man to-day who can .so wisely shape the 
policy of the Government as to create new industries or who 
can give a new impetus to our already sttipendous leadership 
in the workshops of the world may gain from this generation 
as great a credit as he who has solved the problems of consti- 
tutional limitations ux who has led our victorious armies to 
success upon the field of battle. 

For these important duties it is .safe to say that Mr. 
FoERDERER was admirably equipped. He had been a laborer 
himself, and was at the time of his death a conunander of 
a great army of laborers. He perfecth' understood their 
rights and limitations; and on that subject of commanding 



20 Life and Character of R. H. Focrdercr 

importance, whose claims for reco.i;nitioii and whose insistent 
demands for legishition are daily heard in this Chaniher, his 
judgment, his advice, and his knowledge would ha\'e greatlv 
aided this bod^- and would have proved a potential factor in 
its solution. 

He was a great manufacturer. He had created a husine.ss 
from .small beginnings and upon the corner stone of indu.stry 
and economy. It had grown to vast proportions under his 
personal super\-ision. He had stimulated and created its 
expansion frmn this humble beginning and had .seen it assume 
a world-wide importance. Its international development was 
the healthful and logical expansion of his knowdedge, of his 
ex])erience, (if his study, and of his mastery of industrial 
laws and of the true principles of industrial economics. 

He was the peer of any man upon the floor of this House 
in his acquaintance with the minute details and perplexing 
problems constantly arising in this great department of 
iiolitical science. Such wisdcmi as his, the outgrowth of 
practical experience tried and tested in the workshop and 
the countingroom, is of priceless importance to the country 
at large in this peculiar era of our national development. 

He was a large importer of raw material from all quai1:ers 
of the habitable globe wherever trade treaties existed, and 
wherever his raw material could be foinid his agents were 
placed, and vessels from all quarters of the globe were 
freighted with merchandi.se for his industries. 

He was also a large exporter. The demand for his prod- 
ucts was world-wide. England, France, Germany, and the 
Orient were growing markets for Mr. Foekderek's output. 
He was therefore familiarly acquainted with the importance 
and significance of tariff legislation. He knew the value of 
trade schedules. He had for years applied the supreme test 



Address of Mr. Af(wii, of Pennsylvania 21 

to the principles of protection. He knew the perils of free 
trade. He knew the conditions nnder which a vast indnstry 
could flourish. He knew the dangers of the theories of the 
doctrinaire, and, standing upon this elevated position of broad 
knowledge, upon this eminence of industrial education, he 
could materially aid the deliberations of this great bodv in 
this field of legislation, upon wh''ch our continued industrial 
and commercial prosperity so much depends. 

The diversified training of his broad experience had 
acquainted him intimately with international improvements, 
with the development of international transit, with the 
demands of commerce for improved waterways, and with the 
importance to this countr}' of bringing to the highest .state of 
efficiency all of the great highways of commerce. These and a 
hundred other kindred ijuestions were to him matters of accu- 
rate knowledge. Speculation and theory had no place in his 
system. His exceptional opportunities enabled him to put to 
the crucial test all of his ideas in this field of economic science. 

He had taken them from the d(.)main of mere theories into the 
laboratory of actual experience and had tested their worth in 
that school of final trade analy.sis, the factory and the counting- 
house: and I feel confident, therefore, in the expression of the 
opinion that in this field of industrial legislation he would have 
brought to the consideration and solution of these questions an 
elevated wisdom, a conservative judgment, and a disciplined 
ma.stery of detail that would have contibuted an interesting 
chapter to the history of his own life and would have added 
materially to the wisdom of the .\inerican Congress in the 
important work that is now enga,ging our attention. 

These of course are mere predictions. The future of no man 
is assured here. Untrodden paths, especiall\- in legislative 
life, do not always produce e.xpected results. But judging 



22 Life and Character of R. II. Focrdercr 

the future In- the past, measuring the equipments of Mr. 
FoERDEREK from his actual accompHshments, the ambitious 
hopes of his friends were well founded, and the country has 
lost a wise counselor in the sudden closing of this new chapter 
in his life's history. 

( )f his .social qualities, of his broad, genial nature and 
enduring friend.ships I .shall leave others to speak. They knew 
liim well and can bear eloquent trilnite to his winning per- 
.sonality and his noble, generous heart. The}' knew of his 
bnia<l minded cliarity and of the unostentatious employment 
of liis fortune in comforting the distressed and encouraging 
the hopeless. They knew of his tender devotion to his family 
and the purity and eminence of his private life. 

From whatever standpoint we ma>' consider him, Robert H. 
FoERDERER was a manly, strenuous, progre.ssive, and repre- 
sentative American citizen, and his sudden death in the earl}- 
prime of young manhood has in it many peculiar elements of 
special sadness. It is so suggestive of unfulfilled hopes, unsat- 
isfied ambitions, and unfinished plans. We bow with humble 
submission to these mysterious dispensations oi an overruling 
Providence and endeavor to .seek in them the divine philosoph}- 
of Him th.at doetli all things well. There is doubtless .some 
compensation in such e\"ents, and I close my remarks with 
the philosophy of a great poet, who, in considering the apparent 
calamity of the death of the young and vigorous, beautifully 

says: 

"Whom the god.s love die young," was said of yore, 

And many deaths <lo they escape by this; 
The death of friends, and that which slays still more, 

The death of friendship, luve, youth, all that is. 
Except mere breath; and since the silent shore 

.\waits at last even those who longest miss 
The old archer's shafts, perhaps the early grave 

W'liich men weeji (n er may Ije meant to save. 



Address of Mr. ]]'a}igcr^ of Piinisylia)iia 23 



Address of Mr. Wanger, of Pennsylvania 

!Mr. Speaker; There seems at times to be \-isitations b>' 
tlie angel of death which are not only mournful hut are also 
startlino; and unnatural. The taking of Robert Hermann 
FoERDERER at the age of 43 years from a loving and beloved 
wife and family, a home of rarest beauty and completeness, a 
business of vast and expanding proportions, and other enter- 
prises of great moment, was of this inexplicable nature. The 
mystery of life and death was in it again strikingly displayed. 

Trained as a manufacturer of leather in the bu.sine.ss estab- 
lishment of his father, but failing to secure the opportunity 
therein to demonstrate the value of an improved process, he 
had the courage and independence to venture upon his own 
resources and the ability to win phenomenal success. 

For lie was great ere fnrtiine made him .so. 

His manners were so agreeable, his courtesy so uniform, his 
friendship so constant, and his fidelity .so unfailing that he 
■won esteem, confidence, and popularity no less than wealth, 
substantial manifestations of which were made in many forms, 
among them being his election as officer or director of a large 
number of local financial institutions. 

Descended from liberty-loving Germans, whose highest 
aspirations in emi.grating to this country were realized, Mr. 
FoEHDEKER was from infancy inten.sely American, and educa- 
tion, a.s.sociation, and his conception of public welfare and 
personal interest made him zealous and constant in the sujijxirt 
of the Republican party; and when that party in 1900 needed 
a candidate in the great Keystone State for Representative at 
large in the Congress of the nation as an associate for the 



24 Z/A' and CJiaractcr of K. H. Focrdcrer 

veteran Galusha A. Grow, who would, like that distinguished 
.statesman, personally typify its policies of protection to Ameri- 
can industr\- and maintenance of sound money, and thereby 
aid in choosiny; a legislature that would, without aid from the 
opposing party, choose a supporter of those policies as United 
States Senator, it logically .selected him who.se death we mourn, 
although he had never before sought or held political office, 
and it trinmphetl comjiletely at the election. 

Mr. FoERDERER as a Member of this body was the same 
modest, industrious, and potential factor he had before been 
elsewhere, and his strong, .sound .sen.se and plea.sing personality 
were a combination incajxible of being successfully resisted, 
and were invariably exerted when (piestions of importance to 
his city, vState. or nation hung in the balance. The office of 
Representative at large from Pennsylvania ceasing with the 
term for which he had been cho.sen, his worth to Philadelphia 
in the first .session of that term had become .so manifest that 
he was chosen Repre.sentative of the new Fourth district ( in 
which he did not reside) in this Congress. This de\'otion to 
jin)>lic duty was the more creditable and remarkable, as part 
of his ample fortune was supposed to be imperiled and he was 
Inirdened with the harassing details of tlie management and 
the burden of maintaining the financial credit of the great 
enterprise in which he had engaged at the instance and chiefly 
fur the benefit of supposed friends, .some of whom are alleged 
to have ba.sely betrayed him. 

This latter reason may well have been the cause of his 
seeming untimely taking off. His hand.some, stalwart frame 
was well made to sustain toil and resist disease and bear great 
resi)onsibility, but "ingratitude more strong than * * * 
(other ills) o'ercame him." Punctilious in the keeping of his 
word and engagements, his abhorrence of tho.se without re.spect 
for their undertakings can well be realized. 



.-iMnss of Mr. ]\'angc)% of PoniSYliaiiia 25 

Never very intiiiuite with hiui, I yet recall with pleasure 
his scrupulous keeping of a ])roniise lie was generous in 
niakiug and more than generous in fulfilling, and well re- 
member the first and last meeting with him in this Chamber. 
The first was at the close of the Fifty-sixth Cong.ess and 
just before the second inauguration of President McKiulej', 
and his words voiced bouyant enthusiasm, noble purposes, 
and great expectations. The last was just before the close 
of the Fifty-.seventh Congress, and, responsive to my de- 
clared purpo.se of spending a short time in the Carolinas or 
Florida before resuming professional labors, he lamented that 
he could not take an outing and .said how much he needed 
one, how greatly he suffered. Yet no thought of such 
serious ailment afflicting him found lodgment in my mind as 
to prevent the announcement of the fatal termination being 
a great shock. 

Who that paid the tribute of their regard by attendance 
at his funeral but was profoundly impressed by that im- 
meu.se concourse of friends, neighbors, and employees, who 
likewise did homage to his memory ? W'e missed the gracious 
presence of otir genial colleague, Henry Burk, who was ill, 
but .said to be improving, and little dreamed as we saw the 
mortal remains of Foerdekek laid in the tomb that we 
.should never again greet Burk in this Chamber, which his 
joyous .spirit had so brightly illumined in his brief Congres- 
sional service. And as we turned from that mausoleum and 
passed from the immense throng so reverently .surrounding 
it, it was with the cheering thought that the House of Rep- 
resentatives of the United States and the great world were 
Ijetter for the life of Robert H. P'oerderer, who was a 
worthy example for his associates and successors and au 
inspiration for honorable effort and ambition. 



26 Life and C/ianwU-r of R. II. Focrdercr 



Address of Mr. Bates, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Spkakkk: liarh- death excites commiseration, ]>articu- 
larly when the object of some special usefnhiess is thereb>' 
broken. The fate of the _\'onthful MarceUus, untimely cut off, 
called forth the most graceful strains from \'!ru;il and moved to 
a fervor that has become historic the famih- of the imperial 
household of Augustus. 

It is a beautiful custom with one of onr most honored fra- 
ternities to ajiproach the grave of a brothe.' who has fallen and 
cast therein a sprig of evergreen as a token of an ever-living 
memory. This House is at this day and hour placing appro- 
priate garlands on the tomb of a revered and deeply mourned 
brother, gathered along the pathway of affectionate companion- 
ship and memory. 

We are reminded in Holy Writ to rejoice with them that do 
rejoice and weep with them that weep, and this injunction is 
easy to obe>' when the cau.se (jf mourning is the death of a man 
whom but to know was to love. 

In all my acquaintance with the deceased I found him a 
man of most generous nature, unassuming, but positive and 
forceful, pos.ses.sed of great bu.siness energy. Hon. Charles 
Ivniory vSmith sends me this tribute: "He had a fertile mind 
well stocked with ideas and lavish in their outlay; warm 
hearted, open handed, genial, kindh', and s>-mpathetic. His 
charities were liberal and bestowed without ostentation." 

The Rev. Rus.sell H. Conwell, of Philadelphia, in writing 

to me yesterday gave the following as his estimate of the 

character and influence of Hon. Robkkt H. Foerdekek : 

He was an einplover wlii' Ii\"ctl (in such fraternal terms with his 
employees that strikes in his establishment were iiiipcwsible; he was 



Address of .\fi\ /ia/rs, of Piinisvlvaiiia 27 

approachable from the ranks of the huirililesl. ami was a sincere helper of 
the poor, givin,i; largely to their snpport, but always with carefullv ci.n- 
sidered arrangements for their permanent good. 

He was held in high esteem by the entire public of our great citv, and 
when he prospered the people rejoiced, and when he met losses thousands 
sincerely sympathized with liim. 

The influence of his excellent character went far lievoud the bounds of 
his personal acquaintance and touched the lives of thousands in the State 
outside the cit}-. 

When he died, the sorrow of our citizens was sincere, and his memory 
is kept alive not onh' by the hearty friendship which so many bore him 
personally, but by the continual appearance upon the surface of the results 
and knowledge of the good dee<l done in so many places where he th<iught 
it would never be known. 

These testinioiiial.s from (listiiit;iiished citizeti.s of Philadel- 
phia who knew Mr. Fokkdkkkr well .speak of him a.s beiii.t;- 
kind-hearted. He wa.s, indeed, tender-hearted. I rememlier 
well the day when we were both sworn in as Memliers of 
the Fifty-.seventh Congress, both being new Members. In 
the adjoining lobby, where we were admiring the beaiitifnl 
floral tribtites, I presented to liim n\\ mother. As he turned 
to me his voice trembled and his eyes filled with tears as 
he said : 

>Ir. Bates, the greatest regret I have is that my mother did not live to 
see this dav. 

Any man who carries on a business .-it home and attends 
to the arduous dtities often imposeil on a Member of Con- 
gress lives a .strenuous life indeed. Is it any wonder that 
the mortalitj" of the last, the F'ifty-seventh Congress, was 
greater in proportion than all our .soldiers who fell in the 
war with Spain? It is this modern materialistic tendency 
on the part of onr American peo]ile that makes the "strenu- 
ous life." It is the life of toil and elTort, the life of labor 
and of strife, the life that does not shrink from hardshi]), 
from toil, from danger, and who out of these wins splen(li<l 
ultimate trium])hs. The life which thanks C.od for the iron 



28 Life and Cliaractcr of R. II. Focrdrrcr 

in the blood of <->ur fathers; for tlie men who upheld the 
wisdom of Lincoln and bore the sword or rifle in the armies 
of Grant. We seem to have adopted as a national motto 
that no country may loni^j endure if its foundations are not 
laid deep in the material prosperit\' which comes fn.im thrift, 
from Inisiness energ>' and enterprise, and from unsparint;' 
efTorts in the field of industrial activit>'. We jiay due honor 
to the architects of our material prosperity, to the captains 
of industr\' wh<j have built our factories and our railroads. 
This spirit has made it i)ossil)le to take into our domain 
islands of the seas, to enter into a closer struij;gle for naval 
and conuuercial sujiremacy, to l)uild up our jiower within 
our iiorders, to point out the way to construct an isthmian 
canal, and to Kras|> the \-antai;e ])oints which will enalile us 
to have our own sa>' in deciding" the destiny of the oceans 
of the East and of the West. 

It was this spirit, this indomitable energy, which possessed 
the life and .soul of our young friend who has so lately 
fallen in the battle of life. I count him i.me of the martyrs 
to that sjiirit of restless euerg>' which has so lately po.s.se.ssed 
the .soul of so man>- Americans; and while many splendid 
achievements ha\'e ensued, it has lieen at greater cost — even 
at the cost (if life itself. 

With apparent health and strength, with prosperity and 
abundance in his pathway, with the highest honor his people 
could be.stow showered upon him, with love and affection of 
wife and children — those to whom he was dearer than life 
it.self — it seemed as though a long and honorable career was 
marked out for him; but "Man's ways are not God's ways, 
and His purposes are ])ast finding out." 

The sunnnons came fn_)m on high, and we are a.gain called 
upon to contemjilate the saddest, the strangest, the most 



.h/t/nss of .]//: Bn/cs, of PtiDisvkaiiia 29 

inscrutable event in all this riddle of hnnuin life — death. As 
we titter these words onr hearts ^f^^ out iu tenderest and 
deepest s>'nipatli\' to those who mourn his loss so innch in the 
old home. 

With the characteristics of the race from which he sprang. 
he was a devoted lover of his home, and his was a model and 
t^-pical American hou.sehold. He was controlled liy the \-()ices 
which came from the cliurch, the .schoolhouse, and the fireside. 
He was ever in favor of that legislation which .seemed to him 
just and righteous and for the good of the whole American 
people. 

In his departure this Hou.se has lost a valuable, upright, 

and energetic Member, his State a true representative, and liis 

home a loving husband and father. 

His life was gentle, and the elements 

So mix'rl in him, that Nature might stand up 

And sav to all the world, " This was a nianl " 



Life and Character of R. H. Focrderer 



Address of Mr. McCreary, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speaker; Time has "double-swinging doors," one 
called "birth," which ushers us into this life, the other called 
"death," which ushers us into eternal life. As all come into 
life b)- the one, all must inevitably depart this life through 
the other. Finite life is likened to the sea, tempest to.ssed 
at times, smooth and calm at others. Our frail bark is 
launched on its way and the journey made to the end" whether 
we will or no, Init the poet beautifulh' expresses the watch- 
fulness of our Hea\-enly Father during our voyage in these 
lines: 

I know not where Hi.s island.s lift 

Their fronded palm.s in air; 
I only know I can not drift 

Beyond His loving care. 

And when life's fitful journey is over, again with the noet 
we can say: 

Safe home into port; rent cordage, shattered deck, 
Torn sails, provisions short, and only not a wreck. 
But, oil! the joy upon the shore, to tell of voyage ended, perils o'er. 

And now, Mr. Speaker, we come to-day under the appro- 
priate custom of commemorating the passing away from mortal 
life and this .scene of action of our colleagues who have gone 
bofore, and our threnodies are for the two late Representa- 
tives, Robert H. Foerdeker and Henry Burk, men whose 
lives ran in .singularly parallel lines, each born on the same 
foreign .shore, connng here in childhood, working their way 
up unaided by influence other than themselves, successfully 
engaged in like bnsine.ss, entering Congress the same time, 



Address of Mr. McCrcary, of PoDisyli'aiiia 31 

dying in the same year, and their memorial services held in 
this Chamber on the same day. Both of them loving sons, 
devoted husbands, kind fathers, good brothers, and surrounded 
by many friends. We who knew them only as acquaintances 
and friends feel the loss of friendship, but those who were 
dear to them in family ties feel that deeper personal loss, ever 
present, ever sorrowful; and their loved ones may well appre- 
ciate the force of the words: 

There are billow.s far out in the ocean 

Which never will break on the beach; 
There are waves of human emotion 

A\'hich can find no expression in speech. 

\'ictor Hugo said: 

When I go down to the grave I can say. like many others, I have finished 
my day's work, but I can not say I have finished my life. My day's work 
will again begin in the next morning. The tomb is not a blind alley, it is 
a thoroughfare. It closes in the midnight to open with the dawn. 

But we have greater words of comfort in the knowledge 
through revealed religion that death does not end all. There 
is a life beyond, and in I Corinthians xv, 55-5S, St. Patil has 
covered the ground of mortal life, inevitable death, and tlie 
resurrection from the grave, wherein he flings his challenge 
and hurls defiance to death when he says : 

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord 
Jesue Christ. 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always 
abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor 
is not in vain in the Lord. 



32 Life and Cluiractcr of R. H. Fovrdercr 



Address of Mr. Burgess, of Texas 

Mr. Speakek: I frankly confess a dread of deatli; an aver- 
sion to its discussion or contemplation; and yet out of a belief 
in the wisdom and wliolesomeness of this custom of assembling 
and pa>ing- our respects to the memory of a departed colleague, 
briefly, I desire to offer my feeble tribute of respect to the 
memory of one whom I was plea.sed in life to call a friend. 
The influences of our ancestry in the shaping of our character 
and controlling our conduct are more potent than we often 
apprehend. I realized this as I came, a .stranger, here the 
fir.st se.s.sion of the Ffty-seventh Congress. I found the fact 
that both of my maternal grandparents were born in the city 
of Philadelphia, grew to manhood and womanhood and were 
married there, naturally turned my curiosit}.- and my friend- 
liness toward those colleagues who on this floor represented 
the great old Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

Among those from Penus3-lvania that I first became 
acipiainted with was this man, Robert H. Foerdekkr. He 
was a type, in many respects, of race and mind and cla.ss. 
His life presents an honor to two countries, an honor to that 
great Teutonic blood from which he sprung, that has so richly 
ornamented European literature and has furnished so nuich 
potent force to liiu'opean civilization and has contriiiuted so 
largely to sturdy, honest, industrious American citizenship. 
He furni-shed an honor to American institutions in his life, 
demonstrating to the world that, coming from another land, 
sprung of another blood, one may here find equal opportunity 
to work out the highest destiny. The pathway of progress 



Address of Mr. Burgess^ of Texas t^t^ 

ill America is bounded onh' 1)\- a man's honor, his al)ilil\-, and 
his persistence. 

He was a fine type of the successful young American 
business man. Fhmg into tlie world as an apprentice, he 
seized all of the availal)le forces and exercised that great 
Americati trait, common .sense, and worked out a career that 
would be a pride to any man of 4;,, \\-hen he faced the 
grim monster. Death. Personall}- he was courteou.S, kind, 
generous, and friendly, a man that success seemed not to 
have spoiled, a man whose soul seemed touched by all those 
attributes of character that appeal most fondly to the balance 
of men, regardless of rank or social position or of wealth. 
I was thrown frequently with him, and learned to like him — 
to like his frank, manly ways, to like the man's candor, to 
like his earnestness, and to like his .sense of honor. These 
were the secrets of his business success. 

Now, this is but another one of the saddest incidents of 
the Congressional career. He is gone. Death has claimed 
him, and when we find that narrow fact, when we stand 
before the grave, how powerless is human speech. What 
idle things are words. Here we all meet upon the level. 
Whatever our career here may ha\-e been, all go through 
the same great .gate and cross the .same dark river into the 
same great beyond. When we part with a friend who enters 
upon this long journey, we may bend and hear the mutter 
of the river, we may catch the faint dip of the boatman's 
oar. and he is gone. Of what the future may hold we have 
all our respective theories, by which the .status beyond the 
river is measured by condition and performance here. But 
whatever our code, whatever our distinctive views, finallj' 
we must recognize how futile must our standard of meas- 
urement be. 

H. Doc. 472, 58-3 3 



34 Z//t' and Character of R. H. Focrdcrcr 

How little we can actually know about the inner soul 
startles human comprehension. We all indulge at last, what- 
ever our course here may be, in the fond belief that bf>'ond 
the dark river, over yonder where presides the Great Spirit, 
a judgment will be rendered that we can not guess at here. 
Obscured by the smallest amount of dirt we may pass 
unseen a great diamond, and in the glittering and beautiful 
shell there may be inclosed the rottenest soul. Before the 
Great Eye all these things will be laid bare. The inner 
.soul will be expo.sed in the lime light of eternit>'. Let us 
indulge the fond hope, who knew him here, that his knightl\- 
soul, that his generosity, that his unceasing lo_\alty to 
friends and country, to principle and doctrine and party — 
that these will shine more serenely beyond the dark river 
than we ever contemplated here they v.'ould. 

I only speak thus briefly out of a .sense of duty to the 
dead man who was kind to me, whom I claimed as a friend, 
and I can only say in closing it is a sad pleasure to attempt 
to say these few words out of respect to his memor}-. 



Address of Mr. I-o/diicy, of Michigaii 35 



Address of Mr. Fordney, of MicmoAN 

Mr. Speakkk and Friends: A jjortioii of this da_\- has Iseeii 
set apart for the paying of tributes to the ineniory of the Hon. 
Robert H. Foerderek, late a Member of this House from 
the State of Pennsylvania. 

I feel unequal to the occasion — to speak in fitting terms 
of this man and his lovable character. I am persuaded, how- 
ever, to take the time of the House to brief!}- speak of the 
life, the worth, and the character of this man. 

The example and the good influence of such a life and of 
such a character ought not to be lost. 

Vast as was Mr. Foerderhr's work here and in his home 
State, where he was allied with immense interests, it is as a 
loyal friend that he will be best remembered by those who 
held him in greatest esteem, tho.se who were permitted to 
get clo.se to the real man and see the wonderful self-poise 
and mastery of self that enal)led him to ri.se above every 
obstacle and stand undismayed in every climax. There was 
in his friendship so much of deep and true loyalty, so much 
of fidelity to the advancement of his friends, that this phase 
of his life is the most beautiful to me. 

In this little world of acquaintanceship, here in the Hou.se, 
we can know nothing of our fellow- Member .save as he appeals 
to each personally. 

I am not a veteran in this Hou.se, but in committee a.s.so- 
ciatiou and friendly intercourse on the floor of the House 
I grew to know and appreciate Congressman Foerderer, 
becau.se he po.sse,ssed tho.se characteristics which attracted my 
liking and compelled my admiration. 



36 Life (Did Character of R. J I. Focrdcrer 

I care nothing for the antecedents uf his liirth ; I do not 
concern m3-self with the environments which led to his becom- 
ing a Member of tlie House. All these things are events of 
history with which we need not dwell. 

As a fellow-Member, I was first attracted to him by those 
sterling characteristics of manhood and integrity of purpose 
which marked his every move in life. As I grew to know 
him more and better, I realized that he had but one thought 
in mind, but one dominating idea: 

I live for those who love me, 

For those who know ine true; 
For the God who dwells above me, 

And the good that I can 'do. 

Mr. FoERDERER has passed from things earthly to things 
eternal. The record of his life on this terrestrial plain is 
■complete, and those who knew him best loved him most. 

Mr. FoERDERER came to Congress as a Member of the 
House with the indorsement of the whole State, and not as 
most of us do, with a narrow or great majority of a single 
small Congressional district. 

The voters of the great and grand old Keystone State — 
the State that is so properly named after the great humani- 
tarian, Penn — chose him a Member at large. He came as a 
colleagtie of that other grand man, Galusha A. Cirovv, both 
being elected \)\ the voters of the whole vState. 

He served well and faithfully, and, if I mi.sjudge not, 
when the supreme mandate came to him it found him 
ready, and he could have said, "I have finished my course; 
I ha\'e fought the good fight: I have kept the faith." 
Weighed by the standard of Shakespeare, "To be honest, 
as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten 
thousand. ' ' 



Address of Mr. Forditcy, of Michigatt 37 

Mr. Foerdekek's whole life was marked Ijy those ster- 
ling traits of old-fashioned honesty and square dealing with 
his fellow-nien. 

We Members of tlie House are better for ha\'ing served 
in the same Congress with Mr. P'orrdhrkk. Into every 
life that he touched he dropped the .seed of kindne.ss which, 
if we cultivate it properly, will have a marked effect upon 
our future lives and upon those with whom we mingle. 

S(.), Mr. Speaker and Members of the Hou.se, let us drop 
our tokens of kindly, alTectionate remembrance upon the 
.sepulcher of Representative Foerderer. Let us treasure 
the les.sons of his life to us and thus have a perpetual liv- 
ing monument to his memory within our hearts. 

A great State mourns an iilu.strious .sou, a nation's capital 
misses his guiding genius, and we of the Hou.se of Repre- 
sentatives feel the deep loss of a friend and leader. We 
mourn him the most because we have lost the most. No 
human being can erect a monument to the memory of 
Robert H. Foerderer that will be as la.sting as the work 
he has done here on this earth. He was a true friend — he 
was just. 

Mr. Speaker, I loved him. I hope God has received him, 
and shall ever pray that his .soul may rest in peace. 



38 Life and CliaracUr of R. H. Foerdercr 



Address of Mr. Hemenway, of Indiana 

Mr. Speaker: The management of the affairs of this great 
Government require wonderful business intellect and judg- 
ment. I do not believe that the great public understand 
jtist what the duties of a Member of Congre.ss are. They 
read our Congressional Record. They read our great polit- 
ical debates. The newspapers of the country, with great 
headlines, tell of the different speeches that are being made 
in Congress on political questions, but they do not tell of 
the work that, tniderneath all this display, is being done in 
the management of the business of this great country. Mil- 
lions of dollars are expended and "billion-dollar Congresses" 
are talked about. We are now growing beyond that even, 
and in this great body of men, without any display, without 
getting into the headlines of the new.spapers, often without 
getting into the Congre.ssional Record, there is a body of 
men who look carefully to the business interests of the 
countr\-. 

In 1900, when Robert H. Foerderer came to Congress, . 
another Member was added to that . li.st of men who are con- 
stantly looking to those great interests of our Crovernment, 
and another adviser was added to the long list of men who 
counsel the Members of this House as to .some particular 
element of the business in which they have peculiar knowl- 
edge. Robert Foerderer's judgment was always good. 
It was the judgment of an even-tempered business man. It 
was valuable to any conunittee of this House. I earh- 
formed his acquaintance through a mutual friend and enjoyed 



Address of Mr. Haiiaiziuiy, of Indiana 39 

his friendship anil confidence, and often asked his advice. 
It was always of value. 

I knew him socially, and I was surprised after Bob Foer- 
derer's death to learn that he had so many business ques- 
tions in the city in which he lived that were weighing upon 
his mind, for as I knew him he never had trouble. He was 
always smiling, he was always happy; he was a man who 
contributed more to the happiness of others than any other 
man in this House that I know, barring only three or four. 
He belonged in a class that we could name upon the fingers 
of one hand. He seemed always to be happy, and was most 
happy when he could contribute to the happiness of others. 
I shall not detain the House by talking long to-day. I did 
not come here because of any particular .sense of duty — I 
came because I wanted to put into the Record, which will 
last longer than I shall, a word for Bob Foerderer, who 
has done so much to add to my happiness and the happiness 
of others. His genial face and kindly and courteous manners 
will live in the memory of his friends as long as life is in 
them. 



40 Life and Character of R. H. Focrdercr 



Address of Mr. Dalzell, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speaker : We come together to-day under peculiar 
circumstances. \\'e meet in this legislative hall, so often the 
scene of party conflict and of debate upon the great questions 
that affect the welfare of a mighty people, in the stillness of 
a Sabbath hour to moralize upon the greater questions of life 
and death that face us in the lo.ss of two of our colleagues, 
Robert H. Foerderer and Henry Burk. The time is oidy 
recent when their interest in the discu.ssion and determination 
of great national i.ssues was as keen as is our interest now, 
but " the pale messenger that with imjiartial footstep knocks 
alike at palace gate and poor man's cot" has translated them to 
another forum, of who.sc character it has not been permitted 
us to know. 

It is the commonplace of eulog\' to put the question as to 
what remains for us mortals when the dread .sentence comes 
that ends our earthly pilgrimage. Ever since men ha\-e died 
their .succes.sors have wondered whether death is an eternal 
sleep or the entrance to another life in which earthly activities 
shall prove a preparation for further activities, and so they 
will continue to wonder while the world endures. Between the 
comforting hopes and promises of the Christian faith and the 
agnostici.sm which says "I know not " men hesitate. I have 
always thought that religion, as it relates to the future life, 
is ver\- much a matter of temperament, and that the most of 
us, whatever his open profession, is dispo-sed to say, "Lord, 
I believe; help Thou my unbelief." 



Address of Mr. Dalzcll^ of Pcinisylz'ciiiia 41 

The two men about whose biers we stand to-day, Robert 
FoERDERER and Heiirx' Burk, were in personal history and 
character ver\- much ahke. Their biographies present strange 
coincidences. They were l)oth German by parentage. Mr. 
Burk was a German l}y birth. Mr. Foerderer was born 
abroad while his parents were visiting their native land. They 
were both engaged at the time of their death in the .same 
business. They came to Congress at the same time. They 
died within a few months of each other, and to-day we bring 
our parting tribute at the same time to the memory of both. 
They started, both of them, at the foot of the ladder, poor bo\-s, 
and died rich men, successful men — not by accident, but by 
reason of the exercise of those qualities which, while they 
inure to the benefit of the individual, add al.so to the security 
of the state. 

They were indu.strious men — men of thrift; honest, intelli- 
gent, public-spirited, charitable; democratic, possessing the 
amiable qualities that attracted their fellows and enlisted their 
love and admiration. 

Robert H. Foerderer and Henry Burk each splendidly 
illustrated the possibilities of American citizenship. From 
boys in humble life they attained to the distinction of repre- 
senting their people in the National Hou.se of Representatives. 

My companionship with them was not of sufficient duration 
to enable me to speak as from personal experience of all their 
qualities. ,It was sufficiently long, however, to enable me to 
say, not in the extravagant language of eulogy, but in the 
language of simple truth, that they were good men, fitly 
honored by their fellows, and worthy a place in this House, 
the peculiar forum of the great American people. 

I did not have the opportunity to attend the funeral of Mr. 
Burk, of whom I was very fond, but I shall never lose the 



42 f-ifc ami Character of R. H. Focrdcrcr 

impressions made upon me by the funeral of Mr. Foerderer. 
It took place on a beautiful day in the early autumn, amid 
surroundings suggestive of anything but death. Nature had 
not yet put off her summer garb; there was l)right sunshine, 
green fields, and the bloom and the perfume of perfected fruit- 
age and flower. Mr. Foerdkrer's home, in the midst of 
surroundings that appealed to the most critical taste, gave 
sorrowful welcome to an assemblage who.se character attested 
the appreciation in which he was held by his fellow-citizens. 

Men of mark in every walk of life were there; prominent 
men in the civil government of the city that had honored 
him, men jiromineut not becau.se of place or office, but because 
of native character and consequent influence, Init, above all, 
the men whose only claim to distinction was that by honest 
toil they earned an honest reward. They were there, his 
employees, the men who while they called Robert Foer- 
derER master delighted to call him al.so their fellow, and who 
left their workshops to bring their sorrowing tribute to his 
memory. In this particular case the only question with 
respect to labor and capital was as to how the representatives 
of labor should pay their highest tribute to the repre.sentative 
of capital. In the case of Robert Foerderer and his men, 
to his honor be it .said, labor and capital knew no cau.se of 
quarrel. 

I bring my loving tribute to-day to the memory of Robert 
H. Foerderer and Henry Burk, my late colleagues, because 
I respected them both. I knew them as remarkably attractive 
companions as well as conscientious legislators, and I mourn 
both of them, as, from the standpoint of human experience, 
they were too soon a sacrifice to the insatiate archer. Death. 

Their death was not our loss only, but that of the State of 
Pennsvlvania and of the nation. 



Address of Mr. Sili/cy, of Pennsylvania 43 



Address of Mr. Sibley, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. SPEAKKk: In the deaths of Rdkkkt H. FoEKnERER 
and Henn- Bnrk Pennsylvania mourns two of her distin- 
guished sons who in pri\-ate life and public life were con- 
spicuous for integrity, ability, and patriotism. Rarely two 
lives run in .such parallel lines. Both were of German 
extraction ; both high types of American citizenship : both 
•rose from humble beginnings to become foremost in their 
chosen avocations. From the ranks of labor both became 
captains of industry, achieving wealth and prominence. Both 
residents of Philadelphia; both manufacturers of leather, 
business ri\-als, and yet warm personal friends. Both were 
elected to Congress in the .same year, and both reelected to 
this Congress, and, with ever\' prospect of long years of 
usefulness, died before entering upon their .second terms of 
.service. Concerning these two men. how singularly appro- 
priate are the words of David, who, lamenting, said: "Saul 
and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in 
their death they were not divided." 

The record of their perseverance, indu.stry, integrity, and 
success becomes an inspiration and an aspiration to every boy 
and .struggling youth within the confines of the Republic. 
Kwy words of praise and of tribute which could be offered 
concerning one of them would apply with almost equal force 
to both. To me, however, upon this occasion has been 
a.ssigned the duty of offering .some special words of tribute 
to the memorv of Robert H. Foerderer. The Common- 



44 Life and Characicr of R. H. Focrdercr 

wealth mourns a worthy son, the nation an able and patriotic 
lawgiver, the family a devoted and indulgent husband and 
father, and we who assemble here to-day mourn the loss of a 
wise counselor and a warm and faithful friend. Others 
upon this occasion have spoken of his great inventive skill, 
his business sagacity, his faithful discharge of duty to his 
fellow-men. My effort will be to speak of some of those 
nobler qualities of mind and heart which .so endeared him 
to those of us who knew him well and who now in his 
memory gather to wreathe the laurels of love and entwine 
the chaplets of esteem and affection. 

Mr. vSpeaker, Robert H. Foerdeker was my loyal and 
loving friend; therefore pardon me if I .seem too partial in 
my estimation of his character and worth. He doubtless had 
his faults, his frailties, and his human weaknesses, and 
though I knew him perhaps more intimateh^ than any other 
Member of this flouse, I can not remember what they were. 
His was a human character as near exemplar)- as is possible 
for man to attain. Starting life as a poor boy, he, through 
great inventive skill, through genius and energy, achieved 
wealth and position while still a young man. He was never 
boastful over the fact that he was a self-made man, but was 
as modest and unassuming as a schoolgirl. 

I never heard a sentence or a word fall from his lips which 
he might not have uttered in the presence of his mother. 
He was frank, outspoken, and truthful, in all things plain, 
candid, and sincere; and even when he differed from anotlier 
in opinion it was at all times with such respect as never to 
wound the feelings. I .sat by his side for two years and 
never heard him use an unkind or uncharitable expression 
concerning another individual Member. He always sought 



AddiTss of Mr. Sibhy, of Poinsylvaiiia 45 

to place the most charitable coustnictioii on the actions of 
those who were under censure. I believe hatred to ha\-e 
been entirel}- foreign to his nature. He was generous to a 
fault, incapable of a mean or low action, and he possessed 
a sense of justice that led him to despise a trick or a wrong 
done another. 

By nature he was sunny and cheerful, and the atmosphere 
about him was alwaj's warm and bright and genial. Though 
possessed of great dignity, he had no frills, and he needed 
no .starch to sustain his dignity. Those of us who came to 
know him best not alone respected 'him, but learned to love 
him. Of robust phy.sique, but 43 years of age, it would 
seem that he had but crossed the threshold of a long and 
useful life. \Miile with us he trusted and loved his friends, 
and in the hour of his departure he trusted as implicitly as 
a child might trust his father that more than earthly friend, 
and could say with the Psalmist of old, "Though I walk 
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no 
evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, the>- 
comfort me. ' ' 

Death came to him as it should come to all of us — not as 
an enemy, but as a friend; not as a defeat, but as a vic- 
tory; not as the end, but as the beginning; not in the guise 
of a serpent, but in the form of an angel. Death came to 
him not as life's curse, but as life's coronation. His life 
work is finished; his plea.sant voice is hushed; his feet no 
longer press the .sands along the shores of time; but those 
of us with whom he mingled will until our latest daj-s be 
grateful for having known such a character, and I believe 
we are all broader and truer, better men because our friend 
for a time sojourned with us. 



46 Life a)id Character of R. H. Focrdcrcr 

I have in \\\\ life bteii peculiarlj' blessed with warm, gen- 
erous, and no1)le friends who needed no crown npon their 
brows to make tliem kingly, and thongh at times we all ma\- 
be deceived b\- false friends, with nie they have been onlv 
tlie fleck of chaff in the fnll mea.sure of wheat. I am pro- 
foundly .sorry for that man who has reached the meridian 
of life, who has passed the middle milestone in his journey 
and has not learned that the most precious of all earthlv 
possessions, the most valuable of all the assets he can 
schedule, is a true and faithful friend. I pity that man who 
has not learned that "warm hearts are more than coronets, 
and simple faith than Xorman Ijlood." 

I pity that man who, when the clouds gather, when the 
storm breaks, when the waves of trouble roll over him and 
the billows almost engulf him, has no friend to reach the 
hel])ing hand or speak the word of encouragement and cheer 
ti> him. In this journey of life our friends stand as the 
shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land, and in the 
desert places of life they are as oases clad in verdure, 
whose sparkling fountains and stately palm trees comfort 
and refresh us. 

Our friend, Robert H. FoerderER, remains with us 
onl\- as a meuiory, and since his death I have heard so 
many kindly words spoken of him by his colleagues, that it 
.seems sad that living he might not have known how much 
we valued, trusted, and appreciated him. 

In the rush of personal and public affairs, in the cla.sh of 
opposing ideas, in the fierceness of party .spirit, we may at 
times fail in the outward expres.sions of kindly sentiment 
which we entertain each for the other. Yet I take it that 
after the consciousness of duty well done, as it was given us 
to interpret that duty, the most valuable recollection, the 
most valuable asset that we shall carry back with us when 



Address of Mr. Sihky, of Pouisylvauia 47 

\ve return to private life will l>e tliosc friendships which have 
been here formed and enjoyed — friendships which are not 
limited by the central aisle running through this Chamber, 
for poor indeed is he whose friends are confined to those of 
a single faith, religious or political. 

Upon both sides of this Chamber are many for whom I 
entertain not alone sentiments of respect and admiration, but 
with whom I am bound in those closer ties of friendly 
fellowship — men upon both sides of this Chamber whose 
personal success and happiness will alwa\-s seem to me to 
come to them as a just recognition of their worth and 
deserts. To my mind a finer body of men of equal number 
never assembled upon the soil of America than those who 
gather here as the representatives of the American people. 
Truly we are the representatives — or ought to be — of the 
indu-strial, the social, and the moral attainment of the most 
enlightened nation of the globe. Even the weakest of us is 
the possessor of some stron.g traits of character, or we would 
not be here as the cho.sen exponent of the aims and ideas 
of something like 200,000 American citizens. 

In this great legislative body how many men there are of 
true nobility, how man\- who compel our respect and command 
our confidence, and whom in time we learn to love: and \-et 
how closelj- we guard our secret, how seldom we speak our 
praises, how scant our words of commendation, how rarely 
we let otir friends know how nuich we appreciate their worth. 
We hesitate to tell them how we sorrow with them in defeat 
and rejoice with them in their triumphs. We are prone to 
mask our feelings and reserve our words of cheer and affec- 
tion, and speak them only when those words are powerless 
to sustain and comfort. But after our friend has passed 
beyond our power to lighten his burden or cheer his heart, 
then — 



48 Life and Character of R. H. Focrdercr 

Oh, come, let us haste to liis grave, let us scatter rich garlands of flowers! 
We gave him scant honor while living; faint, reticent praises were ours 
For his genius, his virtues, his courage — but now his quick spirit hath fled; 
O'er his toml) wreaths of roses and laurels and bays let us strew to him 

dead. 
Ave, now, when all weeping and praising are utterly vain, let us weep; 
Let us praise him imgrudgingly, now that unconscious he sleeps his last 

sleep. 

Will he heed what we say? Will he he r us and see us? Ah, no; 'tis too 

late! 
We are always too late with our praises and pjeans — delaying we wait, 
Till death shrouds the windows and darkens life's warm breathing house 

with its pall. 
And in vain to the tenant departed, love, friendship, or calumny call. 
Ah! then we arouse in our griefs; ah! then, and then only, the meed 
That was due to the warm living spirit we give to the cold, sensele.ss dead. 

For our brother, while here he is striving and moving along the world's 

ways, 
We have only harsh judgments, stern counsel, half-uttered affections, cold 

praise. 
Our cheer of full-hearted approval, our frank, quick applause we deny; 
Envy, Malice, and Jealousy, Calumny, all the world's hounds in full cry- 
Unrelenting pursue him, while Friendship barks low in the rear of the race, 
Reluctant, perhaps, at his faults and frailties, till death ends the chase. 

Ah! then all his virtues, his merits, shine forth; all the charms that he 

owned 
Rise up imobscured in their beauty, all frailties and faults are atoned. 
All the good is remembered and pondered, the bad swept awaj- out of sight, 
.\nd in death we behold him transfigured, and robed in memorial light. 
We lament when lamenting is useless, we praise when all praises are vain, 
.\\v\ then turning back and forgetting, begin the .same sad work again. 

Ah! why did we stint to him living our .gift? Were we poor? Had we 

naught ? 
Not a wreath, not a flower, for our friend to whose grave we such tribute 

have brought? 
Ah, no! the largess of the heart that had strengthened and gladdened his 

soul 
We refused him, and proffered him only the critic's poor miserly dole. 
Still we meant to be just, so we claim, though the judgment was cold that 

we gave. 
Was our justice then better than love? Come, say, as 3'ou stand by his 

grave. 



Address of Mr. Sibley, of Pennsylvania 49 

]Mr. Speaker, how singular is tliis nature of ours that will at 
times rise to the loftiest peaks of sublimity, bathing its head in 
the eternal blue upon the mountain top and anon drag its tor- 
tuous way through swamji and morass; at times robed in its 
royal habiliments, again in rags, and }-et again in sackcloth; 
endowed with the attributes of a god, and then, perchance, 
voluntarily dwarfing itself to the stature of a pigmy. Vet 
withal, in each man the Goddife is predominant and with the 
breaking of the earth clay the nobler spirit stands revealed. 

Of our departed friends whom we mourn to-day, who can 
remember a fault? What one of us but fondly cherishes 
pleasant memories? The gem was with us, but we held it in 
the rough. Death has remo\-ed the dross, and we now see 
scintillating and .sparkling the real gem we wore .so long 
iniconscious of its worth. Perchance we stood too near to 
catch the radiance of its lu.ster; perchance .some .seeming flaw 
marred the harmonious whole. In turning an angle in some 
old cathedral, we have possibly had suddenl_\- before our vision 
a great picture. We deem it incongruous. It lacks all power 
to please. The colors seem to ha\-e been dashed thereon at 
random; but move farther away until we attain the proper 
angle for vision and there stands revealed, not a chance crea- 
tion, not a whimsical production, but a painting so perfect in 
its outlines, so glorious in its harmonies, .so sublime in its 
conception, that by common con.sent the world has pronounced 
it a masterpiece. To survey it as a whole rather than in a part 
affords us correct ideals of its beauty, and so when we review 
our friends at the proper distance until the slight defects are no 
longer apparent they stand revealed to us at the true measure 
of their grandeur and worth. 

Phidias, the Greek .sculptor, completed his statue and 
invited the populace of Athens to pass judgment thereon. 
H. Doc. 472, 5S-3 4 



50 Life and Character of R. H. Focrdcrcr 

Without exception one and all condemned it. ''Wait," said 
the great master, "until you see it upon its pedestal," and 
when placed thereon the world pronounced it the rarest 
creation of beauty ever fabricated by the hands of man. 

Arriving by night at Chamounix, my first vision was that 
of Mont Blanc bathing its head in the morning sunrise. 
Who with words can picture this rugged mountain? vStand- 
ing at its foot or essaying the easier portions of its ascent, 
it seemed one ma.ss of glaciers, pinnacles, crags, and chasms; 
and had I left the vale of Chamounix by night I should 
have never known the real grandeur and sul:)limity of this 
mountain peak, but leaving by daylight, mile by mile, gla- 
cier, pinnacle, crag, and chasm were obliterated; each scar 
in the eternal granites was effaced or blended into one 
harmonious whole, showing the majestic and towering motm- 
tain in all its wonderful beauty. And so with our dead. 
The great healer. Time, leaves us with only pleasant memo- 
ries and fjeatific visions of our departed friends. 

In the duties of our daily contact and mutual association, 
shall the nearne.ss forever blind our eyes to the real worth 
of living friends? Do we find imperfections only because 
we stand so near? Do we see scars, deep fi.ssures, sharp 
angles, and jutting headlands? And is it not possible that 
even where these appear there may exist the grandest and 
most lofty character? The little hill may be round and 
smooth and the great mountain seamed and scarred, yet the 
scars are but a trifie to the mountain's mass, and the moun- 
tain top is nearer heaven than the hilltop. 

And even where in our daily association we are thrown into 
contact with those who do not attract us, who seem cold, har.sh, 
and repellant, jierhaps it is because we have not dug deep 
enough to find the noble nature within. In our journey 



Addirss of^fr. Sibley ^ of Pcimsylz'auia 51 

through Hfe we liave perhaps liad confronting us in our path- 
way some great mountain; bold, rocky, barren, and forbidding. 
We have .shunned it, and have taken what .seemed to be the 
pleasanter and easier path round about its base. Others com- 
ing the .same way found grateful shelter beneath its shade: 
and digging but beneath its surface brought to light rich veins 
of gold and silver to cheer and gladden the world. 

Mr. Speaker, we are but those of whom others shall to- 
morrow say, "They are the dead." From Adam down through 
all the ages every man has propounded to his innermost soul 
this question — "If a man die. shall he live again?" 

There is no death! What seenus so i.s transition; 

This life of mortal breath 
Is but a suburb of the life elysian, 

Who.se portal we call death. 

If a man die, shall he live again? Even if there were no 
divine revelation, nature, with all her myriad voices, proclaims 
the affirmative. Shall the general law that dominates and 
controls in all the realm of nature find here its single excep- 
tion? Science teaches and demonstrates the absolute inde- 
structibility of matter. Is mind, which reigns as .sovereign 
over matter, less inunortal? vShall the lesser survive and the 
noliler perish? I can not think so. 

How simple is the my.stery: 

He can not die who truly lives. 
For virtue has immortal breath; 
'Tis but the sowing of the Krai"> 
Which blos.soms into life again 
And finds perfectness in its death. 

If the seed be perfect the harvest is sure; 
If the fountains be sweet the waters are pure; 
If the present is right, the answer is plain — 
If a man dieth, he livetli again. 



52 Life and Character of R. H. Foerderer 

Then wh}- shall we call them dead? The rose flourished and 
faded. It cheered the chamber of the sick or gave, perchance, 
its perfume to the desert air; yet, in the alchemy of nature, 
she had stored uj) the fragrance, and the essential life of no 
flower was ever lost. Are the .sunbeams that warmed the pre- 
historic ages lost or dead? Nay, not .so! In her vast labora- 
tory Mother Earth caught up the straggling sunbeams, hid 
them in her cajiacious bosom, and to-day, from the mountain 
side, men dig those crystalized sunbeams to heat and light the 
world. 

Honest love, honest .sorrow, honest work for to-day, honest hope for to- 
morrow ; 
Are these nothing more of worth than the hands they make w-eary, 
The hearts they have saddened, the lives they leave dreary? 
Hush the sevenfold heavens to the voice of the spirit, 
He who o'ercometh shall all things inherit. 

Mr. Speaker, nevermore on the shores of time cau we greet 
or serve our friend. He has gone out into the golden glories 
of the sun.set, and though his hands be forever folded upon 
his breast the harp strings touched by his fingers have not 
ceased to vibrate, the voice of his min.strelsy is not hushed, 
the .songs which he has sung still linger, and the echoes of 
his nuisic will forever cheer our hearts. 

The lessons of tliis hour impress upon us the fact that we 
can never serve our friends excejH while they are with the 
living, and the life of him whom we mourn shall still be 
potent if from this Chamber his example sends us forth with a 
brighter smile, a more cheering word, and a warmer hand clasp 
for the friends who still remain. 



Address of Mr. MorrcU^ of Pennsylvania 53 



Address of Mr. Morrell, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speaker: I want to add a word of tribute in regard to 
our departed colleague, one of the best friends I had in this 
House, the late Robert H. Foerderer. So much has been 
said, and so beautifully said, that it is almost impossible for me 
to add anything; nevertheless, I can not refrain from just a 
word on account of the relationship which existed between ns. 

On my dail>- journeys to and from m\- place in the country I 
pass on the railway train the manufacturing works of Robert 
H. Foerderer. When I fir.st went to live in the country, they 
were comparatively .small, but each month and each year, as I 
looked out of the car windows I saw more ground acquired, 
more buildings erected, until, as was .said by my distinguished 
colleague, the Robert H. Foerderer leather works became one 
of the largest and most imxiortant manufacturing establish- 
ments, not only in this country, but also in Europe, covering 
almost twent>- acres of ground. 

During this time I did not know Mr. Foerderer. It was 
not until he came to Torre.sdale and purchased a country 
place almo.st adjoining my own that I had the plea.sure of 
making his acquaintance. The place he purchased was one 
of the handsomest and most historic on the Delaware Riv^er. 
Shortly afterwards, de.siring to extend his grounds, I met 
him in connection with the purchase of some ground of 
mine, and the experience I had with him on that occa.sion, 
and on business occasions afterwards, showed me what a 
quick mind he had and how, when he came to a decision, 



54 Zz/f' and Cliaractcr of R. H. Foerdcrer 

terms and condition w(.)ulcl he speedily agreed upon. I real- 
ized that it was through this faculty to transact business 
quickly that he had built up the great leather works which 
are situated at Frankford, in my district. I realized that it 
was through this power to utilize and economize time that 
the product of that factor>- is as well known in Europe as 
in this country. I realized that it was through this ability 
and his marvelous energ>- that he had gradually established 
or acquired the different enterpri.ses nece.ssary as feeders for 
this enormous trade. 

Mr. Foerderer's interests were not alone confined to his 
great leather works. He was identified with man\' other 
large enterprises, and in the last years of his life a great 
deal of his time and energy were devoted by him to the 
perfection of the Keystone Telephone Company, of Philadel- 
phia, a company which he organized as a competitor with 
the Bell Telephone Compan\", in order that the rates might 
l)e reduced to the consumer. 

Little by little I learned to know Robert Foerderer 
better, and finally grew to know him well. No one had a 
character more lo\-able; no one man grew to love another with 
the same feeling of confidence and trust, being sure that he 
would never be disappointed in his ideals, than did the man 
who grew to know Robert H. Foerderer. 

In my personal and social relations with him I always 
found him kind and sympathetic, his advice good and con- 
servative, and he ever stood ready to go to the front for a 
friend and advocate his interests. The.se unselfish traits I 
realized when, on one occa.sion, I needed a friend of the 
character of Robert H. Foerderer. In nature and dis- 
position he was generous and aflfectionate. The coldness of 
calculating .selfishness was all foreign to his character. He 



Address of Mr. Morrcll, of Pcnitsylvauia 55 

was not a man of policy, nor did he stoop to substitute tact 
and craft for courage and strength. His affection for friends 
was not the result of lack of confidence in himself or in his 
ability to stand alone, but rather the impulse of a heart as 
gentle as it was brave, as noble and charitable as it was 
fearless and true to win the regard of those who attracted 
him. His bearing was a most admirable commingling of 
manl}- dignity and unassuming modesty, while the kindly 
smile, which was indeed the sunshine from his soul, and the 
frank, cordial maimer of his address won for him the friend- 
ship and confidence of all who were fortunate enough to 
know him. 

Among the attractive traits in his character the one that 
impressed me most was his broad-minded charity for the 
opinions, the faults, and the harmless vanities of others. In 
the hours I pas.sed in his company I never heard him speak 
uncharitabh' of any man. If he had no word of commenda- 
tion, he was silent. He endeavored to trace a good and pure 
motive in the speech and actions of all men, and believed 
that men could differ widely from his views and opinions 
and still be as honest and sincere as he realized himself to be. 

Although comparatively young in years when called from the 
scene of his activity, no one can feel that his life was not 
rounded out into full completeness or mourn on his account that 
it has ended, although our sympathies go out to those near and 
dear to him who lament his lo.ss. All those who knew him, 
both in his private and public career, realize that his State, 
his constituency, and his friends will mi.ss his presence and the 
useful and honorable place which he occupied in their councils. 

His duty in life, his obligations to his country and his people 
had been honorablj' and nobl\' performed: and it is, perhaps, a 
fortunate and happy fate for a man to pass away from this 



56 Life and CJiaractcr of R. H. Focrdcrcr 

world in the height of his powers, in hoiioralile position gained 
by faithful service for his fellow-men, and by their appreciation 
of his worth deeply regretted and lamented by them, rather 
than in the decrepitude of old age, with faculties impaired and 
usefulness gone, so that as one sinks beneath the waters of life 
the waves close over him without leaving a ripple of regret. 
• Judged Ijy what he was and what he had done, no one 
can call the life of our friend a short one; nay, more, upon 
the calendar of events marked by them his life was longer 
by far than many a one of four score and ten. 

He was honest, just, faithful, unostentatious, considerate, 
kind, and courteous; true to his cotuitrj-, constituents, and 
himself. >Such characters always have and always will com- 
mand respect and tribute. The yoxlth of this great land 
can not do better than to strive to imitate such an example. 
His life illustrates the possibilities which, under our foiin of 
government, lie within the reach of those who utilize the 
gifts with which God has endowed them. The history of 
his life and of his gradual rise to fame, fortune, and position 
is the history of the lives of many of the illustrious men of 
this country. Such experiences as his are more valuable 
to make men suited for great emergencies, qualified to con- 
trol great enterprises, and to fill responsible public positions 
than all the aids of birth, fortune, schools, and influential 
friends. 

There are others who knew him longer and more inti- 
mately than I did, and for them it is more fitting to speak 
of him and his character more minutely and at greater 
length than I should do. 

I heard of his serious illness when I was in Europe, and 
was .shocked a few days later to hear of his death. Rob- 
ert H. FoERDERER was one of the kind of men whose 



Address of Jlfr. Morrcll, of Pennsylvania 57 

personal energy- and ability to inaugurate and consummate 
large enterprises has made Penus\lvauia and the city of 
Philadelphia what the}- are to-daj'. 

He was my friend, as he was the friend of all wlio 
attracted liim and of all who he learned needed a friend. 
I miss him as a colleague; I shall always miss him as a 
friend and the best of neighbors, and I have sought this 
opportunity in all sincerity to offer a humble tribute to his 
memory. 



58 Liff and Character of R. H. Foerdcrer 



Address of Mr. Padgett, of Tennessee 

Mr. Speaker: I rise not for the purpose of making an 
address, but modestly to paj' a tribute of respect to one whom 
I counted my friend. Mr. FoERDERER and I entered Con- 
gress at the same time, at the beginning of the Fift>'-seventh 
Congress, and were assigned to work on the Banking and 
Currency Committee. We met as strangers; but during our 
service in Congress we came to know each other as friends. 
I learned to admire him; and it is my purpose here this 
afternoon to pay a sincere tribute of respect to his worth 
and merit as a man and as a legislator. 

I believe that he was a true man, and I believe that he 
was earne.st, honest, and sincere. That belief was founded 
upon our association and work together in Congress. I knew 
nothing whatever of his private life; I only knew him as a 
Member of Congress. I was associated with him only in our 
Congressional work in the committee room and upon the floor 
of the House, and from that association I learned to admire 
him, and thus am prompted upon this .sad occasion to .speak a 
jUst word of tribute to his \-irtues. 

He was, I believe, a true and genuine and noble man. Mr. 
Speaker, standing in contemplation of the life and character of 
such a man, we have a verification of the poem which say.s — 

Our lives are songs; God writes the words; 

But we set them to music at pleasure; 
And the song grows sad or sweet or glad 

As we choose to fashion the measure. 



Address of Mr. Padgett, of Tennessee 59 

Such was tlie life of Robert H. Foerdeker. He laid 
hold of the incipient life: he laid hold of his opportunities; 
and noblj- and grandly he rounded out a niag-nificent char- 
acter. It is, after all, the character that we work out of 
our opportunities, whatever our abilities, that marks the 
measure and the fullness and the grandeur of the man. 

True to his country, true to his fellow- men, true to his 
duty, true to his associates and friends here, we are better 
for our association with him; and the world is better that he 
has lived and labored. 

Mr. Speaker, standing in the shadow of the death of such 
a man — a man who.se life, whose personal character, were 
.such as have been portrayed here this afternoon by those who 
knew him intimately and well, well may we say: 

ScaUer seeds of kindness — 
Speak jjentle words — for who can tell 

AVhat joy tliey may impart? 
For oft they fall as manna fell 

To .some nifjh-fainting heart. 

The gentleman from Peiuisylvania [Mr. Sibley] referred to 
the language of the man of God who, speaking of the seed, 
said, "Except the .seed perish, it can not grow; it can not 
have its fruition." The plant can not come, the flower can 
not bloom and ble.ss, unless the seed perish. If we peri.sh 
in what we call death, we know that in the hope of the 
resurrection the friend.ships begotten here shall realize the 
fruition of love hereafter. 



6o Life and Cliaractcr of R. H. Focrdcrer 



Address of Mr. Huff, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speaker: It would seem but fitting that one whom Mr. 
FoERDERER succeeded as a Representative at large from the 
.State of Pennsj'lvania should pay respect to the high character 
and moral worth of our deceased colleague. 

I am much impressed with the solemnity of this occasion, and 
can add nothing to the beautiful tributes that have been paid 
to the character, business integrity, and public services of both 
Mr. FoERDERER and our lamented friend, Mr. Henry Burk, to 
whose families and friends we extend our deep sympathy in 
their great bereavement and irreparable loss, and commend 
them to Him who doeth all things well f(.)r that comfort and 
consolation which He alone can give. 

The vSpeaker pro tempore. The question is on agreeing 
to the resolutions offered by the gentleman from Pennsj-Iva- 
nia [Mr. Moon]. 

The question was taken, and the resolutions were unani- 
mousl}- agreed to. 

Mr. Moon, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, before the House 
formally adjourns, I would like to make an announcement. 
The father of the House, the Hon. Mr. Bingham, who desired 
to be here, has telegraphed me of his inability to come on 
account of his illness. He desires to a.sk special permission 
to print in regard to both of these distinguished gentlemen. I 
think, however, that permission is granted under the re.solution. 

The .Speaker pro tempore. Permission has already been 



Addi'css of Mr. Huff, of Pennsylvania 6i 

granted by the House. In ])ursiiance of the resolutions, 
and as a further mark of respect to the meniorj- of our col- 
leagues, the House stands adjourned until to-morrow at 12 
o'clock noon. 

And accordingh- (at 5 o'clock and 2 minutes p. m. ) the 
House adjourned. 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE 

XuVKMBER II, 1903. 
MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE. 

The message also comnuiiiicated to the Senate the intelligence 
of the death of Hon. R. H. Foerderer, late a Representative 
from the State of Pennsylvania, and transmitted resolutions of 
the House thereon. 

Xo\T!MBER 12, I903. 
DEATH OF REPRESENTATIVE FOERDERER. 

Mr. Penrose. I ask the Chair to lay before the Senate 
the resolutions of the House of Representatives relative to 
the death of my late colleague in that body, Hon. R. H. 
Foerderer. 

The Presiding Officer (Mr. Kean in the chair). The 
Chair lays before the Senate the resolutions indicated by the 
Senator from Pennsylvania, which will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

In the Hhuse of Represent.\tives, 

Noreiiibt'r 10, igo^. 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death 
of Hon. R. H. Foerderer, a Representative-elect from the State of 
Pennsylvania. 

Resolvtd, That the Clerk be directed to transmit this resolution to the 
Senate and a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That, as a further mark of respect to the memory of Hon. 
Vincent Boreing and Hon. R. H. FOERDERER, this House do now .stand 
adjourned. 

63 



64 Life and Cliaractcr nf R. H. Foerdcrcr 

Mr. Penrose. Air. President, at some subsequent time I 
will ask the Senate to fix a day when fitting tribute may 
be paid to the memory of mj' deceased colleague. P'or the 
present, as a mark of respect to his memory, I move that 
the Senate do now adjourn. 

The motion was iinanimouslj- agreed to; and (at i o'clock 
and 13 minutes p. m. ) the Senate adjourned until Monday, 
November 16, 1903, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

April ii, 1904. 

message from the house. 

The message also transmitted resolutions of the Hou.se on 
the life and public .services of Hon. ROBERT H. Foerderer, 
late a Representative from the State of Pennsylvania. 

o 



a s 'OF 



